


Promise

by alseesky



Category: bare: A Pop Opera - Hartmere/Intrabartolo
Genre: F/M, M/M, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2020-01-15 00:29:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18487570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alseesky/pseuds/alseesky
Summary: A promise, a promise of eternal love until death separates it, always and forever, never ending. Life didn't seem so daunting if you had an always, something to fall back on if times get rough, a constant to hold you up and keep you going.(repost because I hated the original version so some things are different)





	Promise

Peter felt uneasy standing up at the front of the church. Sure, he'd been in loads with his family growing up, and then at school, but after high school he kind of drifted away from his faith. Now the pews seemed quiet, and daunting, and he could feel memories of waking up gasping for breath from nightmares of damnation. It had been awhile since he felt that way, but standing up in front of the mass of people brought all his plaguing thoughts back, and it wasn't necessarily something you should be thinking about when  you're supposed to be paying attention to the vicar.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today," the Vicar began, gaze set on the happy couple as he droned on. Deciding to put a stop the cynical attitude (Jesus, it was just a church), Peter let his eyes fall to the people in front of him, scanning the crowd for a familiar face, his eyes falling onto Nadia, who looked like she would rather be anywhere but there. Peter allotted himself a small smile, his eyes falling to the ﬂoor.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
When he looked back up, he felt a tad less cynical, maybe it had been Nadia's constant stubborn attitude, or maybe it was the welcoming presence beside him- that presence being Jason Mcconnell.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
Jason was stood beside him, dressed to the nines, and okay, not really, but he always managed to look good in a suit, and at least he was listening to the vicar, unlike Peter.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
He smiled to himself once more as he noticed something completely Jason, probably something that happened in the feat of pre-wedding jitters and letting himself stay in bed a little too long. He'd forgotten to take the tag off his suit jacket, and it had been haphazardly tucked into his sleeve, no doubt the result of noticing a little too late.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
As Peter mused himself over his little discovery, his gaze fell onto Jason's face, which didn't help his growing grin in the slightest. 

His eyebrows had pulled together, his smile changing into a lopsided smirk- and Jesus Christ, he looked so pefect. Peter regarded him with such an expression that only Jason could ever draw out, a certain level of fondness mixed with happiness shining in his eyes. He tore his eyes away from him, glancing across the stone building, falling onto a small, velvety box.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
the rings.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
He shifted his weight side to side (and really, who decided you had to stand the whole time?), he could conjure the image of the two rings in his head, shining in gold, matching each other.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
He allowed himself to spare a look at Jason, before falling back to the box once more. A promise, a promise of eternal love until death separates it, always and forever, never ending. Life didn't seem so daunting if you had an always, something to fall back on if times get rough, a constant to hold you up and keep you going.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
That's what those rings meant.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
Jason began to speak, but for the ﬁrst time in forever, Percy hadn‘t been listening to him, his mind was somewhere else.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
That 'where‘ being ten years ago, freshman year.  
⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧 - 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙧𝙢 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
Late nights were both Peter's favourite thing and least favourite thing at the same time.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
On the more pleasant side, everything seemed peaceful, calm and more simply put, quiet. But on the other hand, it was when thoughts of eternity in hell were the loudest, as if they weren't already before.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
It was shortly after midnight when Peter found himself seated on Jason's bed. As of that moment, Peter was alone, Jason having gone to the washroom.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
The red haired boy stood up, pushing himself off the bed and onto his feet, letting his weight rest in his heels before dropping it down so the palm of his foot touched the hardwood ﬂoor.

He somehow made it across the room in front of Jason's desk, intrigued by a picture of a younger Jason, and who he assumed to be Nadia, both smiling widely, the arms slung across each other's shoulders. His eyes drew back to the figure of his younger roommate, he had a wide grin, and Peter absently noted he was missing one of his front teeth.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
Peter jumped when the door ﬂung open, face flushing red out of embarassment at being caught staring at the picture. Jason chuckled, his laughter piercing the air, warm and whole, drawing Peter in- in a way he was taught was wrong.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"Miss me?" He asked with a wink, falling onto his bed, the ﬂirty tone not helping Peter's ﬂustered state at all. "Not really, you can go again, if your like." Peter laughed, trying to lessen his embarrassment, as he walked back to the bed and sat down, leaving a foot or two between them.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"You're really funny Pete," Jason rolled his eyes, a sarcastic tone seeping into his voice, a smirk accompanying it, and Peter laughed aloud, the tension that had built resolving as the two eased back into hushed conversation.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
After a while, both boys had started getting tired, and making little to no sense, seeing as it was nearly two o'clock in the morning. And as Peter moved to scoot over to his bed, Jason grabbed his wrists, a silent plea fo stay. Peter couldn't find if in himself to say no, and he was suddenly wedged in beside Jason in his twin bed.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
Peter wasn't entirely sure if Jason was actually tired, but he knew he sure wasn't, not anymore.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
Thoughts began racing like they had countless times before. This was wrong, that's what everyone said. But that paled in comparison to how Jason made him feel.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
Peter continued to let the thoughts plague him, listening to the rhythmic breathing of the other male beside him. Jason was, well, whatever he was. Sure, they'd kissed a couple times, and there were gazes. Hell, there was a lot of gazes. And feather light touches. Fingers lacing together. But that never meant anything, really, because the two never said anything, and Jason had girls chasing him left right and center. Peter would be selfish to keep him to himself. To corrupt him like that. But God, he wanted to.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
He turned himself around as best he could to face Jason, letting the words fall from his lips before really thinking, "Jason? Are you awake?"  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
Peter watched the blue eyes across from him flit open, "I am now, what is it?" The other male paused, reaching over to turn on the lamp, "Everything okay?"  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
Peter couldn‘t tell him to go back to sleep now, but the guilt quickly festered it's way into Peter's stomach. He shouldn't have said anything, it's not like he could just say how he was feeling without coming off feeling pathetic. He didn't want to, couldn't, admit that the way he felt for the other made him hate himself just a little bit more, and that he didn't want to be left alone in the confusing feelings when Jason decided he was going to finally come to his senses and decide to get with a girl.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"Yeah its just..." He trailed off, unsure of where he was going with it.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"What?"  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"Do you ever think about the future?" The younger of the two blurted out, "Like, I don't know. Ten years from now, do you ever wonder who you'll end up with, or if you'll just be-"  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"Peter-"  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"-Alone." Peter ﬁnished, not meeting Jason's eyes as they searched him.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"Why'd you ask?"  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
𝘐 𝘥𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘰, 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘧 𝘐’𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘧 𝘐'𝘮 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘬𝘦.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
Outwardly Peter just shrugged, seemingly disinterested."Well I can't see the future Peter," Peter opened his mouth to respond before Jason cut him off, answering his question voice somewhat timid, unsure of what to say, "But if I could, I'd make sure that I don‘t end up alone. I like to think that somewhere out there there‘s a person who would want to stick with me for awhile, right?"  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"But that's not the point Jason," Peter murmured. Of course someone would want to end up with Jason. Jason could pretend, be someone who he wasn't, but Peter, he couldn't hide. He couldn't just marry a girl like Jason would. He can't. "You just-, you'll never know if that person is out there. And what if they aren't? It's all so uncertain,"  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
Jason butted in, "Nothing is ever certain Peter, so stop worrying about it-"  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"Yeah? Well I don't like it! In fact I hate it, we‘re so unprepared, you'll never know what‘s gonna happen, a little heads up would be nice."  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
Peter took a deep breath, "But at least I know where I‘ll end up, alone, not bothering anyone-"  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"Stop assuming you‘re ending up alone." Jason cut him off again, rolling his eyes, "Sorry to break to you, but people do actually care about you."  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"Like who?" Peter knew what he was saying seemed childish, mainly because it was, but he really didn‘t care all that much.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"Peter c'mon really, do I have to spell it out for you? Just go to sleep already,"  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"Who?"  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"Are you serious?" Jason asked, and Peter said nothing, waiting for an answer to come from the other.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"Peter are you seriously worried you'll end up-"  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"-Alone. Yeah." Peter ﬁnished, sending the other boy a small, sad smile.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
Jason still had yet to answer, and Peter was sure he was about to break out laughing, but then all he did was stand up, "Alright then."  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
He walked over to his desk drawer, looking through it, pulling out contents and putting them back, "Jason what are you-"  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"What's your favourite colour?"  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"Uh, blue— but what does that have anything to do with it?"  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
Jason shrugged, "You'll see,", pulling out a pipe cleaner craft wire, the kind you get in those craft sets when you were little, and he broke off the wire with his teeth, leaving two smaller pieces of it in each hand.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
Peter, heavily confused, sat there as Jason walked back, holding the two pipe cleaners in his hands at he sat next to him.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"So I've just spent the better half of an hour taking to Peter Simmonds, who seems convinced he's ending up alone-"  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
“..Jason..”  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"I'm not ﬁnished," Jason interrupted, "I told him people cared about him, and he asked for an example, I thought he already knew. I was wrong." Jason looked him in the eyes, with a confidence he only ever found in the middle of the night, dark brown meeting light blue, "Even though life may be uncertain, and though I can't see your future, I‘d like to think I'd be in it, in some way or another."  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
He cares. Those two words began to echo brain on repeat.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"And, I can't ever give you certainty in life, because for all we know, an asteroid could hit the earth tomorrow," Peter let out a small chuckle, "But there's one thing I can give you," Jason opened up his hand the reveal a small loop he made with the craft wire, and held it out to him, "A constant."  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
Peter tilted his head to the side and opened his mouth to speak, when Jason took his left hand, silencing him once more, "A constant is something that will always be there, forever and always, right?"  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
Peter nodded.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"So I give you this." Jason pressed the loop in his palm.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
It's a ring.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"Wedding rings mean a constant, a promise of forever, an always. This ring means that even when you‘re not sure in life, you won‘t have to do anything alone. I‘ll be there, I promise."  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
Peter found himself at a lost for words, so he just sat there, gaping like ﬁsh, holding the ring in one hand.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
He- Jason, wants to stay- at least part of him does. The part that only ever existed behind their closed door.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
Peter looked down at the ring, "Well, should we book a venue?".  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
Jason laughed, "Nice try, it's not a proposal, its more of a pact."

"What?"  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"Like, a promise ring. I promise no matter what that I'll be here, with you." A constant, hell, he could sure use one of those.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙙𝙖𝙮 - 𝙬𝙚𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜

Peter pulled himself back, knowing the words that would come next.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀  
"And now, by the power vested in me," And there it went, the moment everyone had been waiting for. Peter rocked back on his heels and looked up at the arches in the ceiling as the vicar wrapped up his speech, he glanced up at a beaming Jason, and couldn't help but smile at him. Peter felt his eyes glaze over and tears start to form, and no, he thought, it has to be perfect, I can’t ruin it by being a crying loser.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
But then again, does it really have to be?

In his defense, no kisses were perfect, movies, books, they all make it seem like every one is a moment of perfection that will be engraved in your head forever, but no, not really, there are kisses that shouldn't happen, angry ones, upset ones, accidents, something that had happened too fast.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
There are kisses you'll regret.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
But, a wedding kiss will always be perfect, no matter what, because as long as those two people love each other, it is perfect, in that moment.  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
Peter looked up at Jason one more time, before the vicar uttered the words everyone had been waiting for;  
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  
"You may now kiss." And Peter couldn't find the words to express how it felt when Jason leaned forward and pressed his lips against Ivy's.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry


End file.
